Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-11
# country around and north of Suffers

:
Fort, winch was located on the site of Sac
ramento. That claim included all Of the
present boundaries of Suffer county. In
order to occupy and use this portion of
his claim, he sent Nicolaus Allgeier to
build house and establish ferry across
the Feather river near its junction with
the Sacramento. Allgeier made his settle
ment there in the spring of 1872 The
town now located there took his first
name, by which it is now known. In the
autumn of that year General Suffer made
another settlement at or near what is now
known as Hook Farm" on the Feather
river, seven miles below Yuba City. 1t
was at this latter place that the
FIRST FARMING WAS DONE N SUFFER-
COUNTY.
There General Suffer had large gar
den and a vineyard. He also planted
number of fruit trees of different kinds,
including quite large grove of fig trees
That was the starting point Of the agri-
cultural development which has given
Suffer county her present prosperity. Al
most the whole area between the Feather
river and the Sacramento was, however.
used by General Suffer as grazing grounds
for his herds of cattle and bands
of horses, and splendid grazing it was.
Old settlers who saw it say that the wild
oats were higher than a mans head,
and the native clover covered the
ground with a rank luxuriant growth.
The discovery of gold in 1S4S brought
a swarm of gold-hunters and the per-
mnent settlement and occupation of what
is Suffer county followed. General Suffers
claim TO the immense land grant was re-
jected in part by the Land Commission
and the Courts. The rich soils, rapid and
cheap transportation, and mild, winterless
climate attracted the settlers in large
numbers, and the land was rapidly taken
up and titled, and the plows of the settlers
drove out the big herds of cattle and the
bands of horses. 1t is not the purpose
of this article to follow the development
OF the county so much as to tell what it
now has to attract the settler and capital
list. The soil and climate is adapted to
the most varied agriculture and horticult-
ure.
CITRUS FRUIT PRODUCTIONS
Have been grown in various parts of the
county for number of years. In the yards
of residences in Yuba City there are hand
some and luxuriant orange and lemon trees
that are each season loaded with large fine
favored fruit
In no part of the Sacramento valley are
there larger and more
PROLIFIC FIG TREES
Than along the Feather and Sacramento
rivers. At General Suffers old Hook
Farm" there is a grove of Mission flo
trees that are more than a third of a CEN
fury old, and have attained immense size.
For more than thirty years they have pro-
duced tons of purple figs. There is hardly
residence in the towns or a farmhouse but
what has fig tree for shade. Their enor-
NOUS size and dense foliage make them the
best shade tree. In the early times only the
purple Mission fig was planted, but in late
years, since home and foreign market has
been within reach and better knowledge
of the market requirements has prevailed.
better varieties of fig trees have been
planted. There are now large numbers of
young white Adriatic and Smyrna fig trees
Just coming into bearing. In few years
the production from them will be promi-
nent item of export.
OLIVE CULTURE.
The culture of olive trees has also had
sufficient trial to demonstrate that they
grow we'll and are continuous and prolific
bearers here. There are thousands of
acres of land on the sides of the Suffer
Buttes used only for pasturage which are
admirably adapted to the production of
olives. lnasmuch as we annually import
from foreign countries large quantities of
olives and olive oil, it would seem that
there is room here for an important in
dustry in olive-growing. In
DEcIDUoUs FORTHCOMING.
Suffer county was pioneer locality.
As has been said, General Suffer planted
fruit trees here between 1S4l and 1850.
Later, after the American occupation.
some of the earliest and most important
orchards of the State were on the Feather
river. The Briggs orchard, two miles be-
low 1uba City, with many thousand trees of
yearly all varieties, was then one of the
largest orchards in the State For wears
the fruit from this place was among the
very first in the markets. A portion of
this orchard is still in existence. and the
trees are prolific bearers. A year or two
since some thousands of boxes of apples
were shipped from this old Briggs orchard
TO Australia and New Zealand and good
prices were realized. This season the first
apricots in the San Francisco market were
grown and shipped from this Briggs or.
chard.
THE FIRST VINEYARDS.
In the early days, before and after the
American occupation, there were mum
Der of vineyards planted. General Suttsr
at Hook Farm" had the first one, which
was cultivated by Indians. The growth of
vines was large and the yield of grapes
was immense. In the cellars of the old
adobe houses the General stored large
quantities of wine, with which he was as
free and generous to his guests as he was
with everything else he had. There are
plenty of people now living in Yuba and
Suffer counties who could bear testimony
TO the fine flavor and power of General
Suffers wine. At one time there were n
great many Mission grape vineyards in
various parts of the county, but the want
of proper knowledge in making the wine,
and the lack Of market outside Of the State
at that time, made wine unstable and
yaiueless. As consequence, many of these
vines were dug up and the ground used
for wheat-growing. Since we have learned
the art of manufacturing the juice of the
grape so rs to make good wine, and since
the railroads have cheapened the rates of
transportation so that we can reach the
Eastern markete, an era of
FRUIT TREE AND VINE PLANTING
Has set in. OF those who have planted
orchards and vineyards of late wears. the
FIRST in point of time, and perhaps in fore
sight, was the late Dr. S. Il. Chandler.
Ills farm was three or four miles south
west Of 1uha City, and consisted of only
so acres. He first, in 1861, planted 10
acres of Mission grapes obtaining the
roots and cuttings from General Suffer.
From that time on the doctor planted
vines of various varieties, till he had AZ
acres: As a result of his experiments he
found the ralsin grape and table grape the
most profitable. His first experiments
with raisin grapes were made in 1877.
That year he obtained cuttingsof Mascatel
Gordo-Rlanco from X. B. Blowers. of
Woodland, who had imported that variety
Of raisin grape into this country. These
he grated into his old Mission vines. The
result was so satisfactory that he grated
all his Mission vines. His VINEYARD con-
sisted OF % acres raisin grapes and l6
acres table grapes, mostly Flame Tokav.
These two varieties of grapes paid the
doctor remarkably we'll for xears 7, :